Your bilingual back office in Japan

After completing 2 years of the JET Program in Ehime prefecture, I found HTM at the Tokyo Career Fair.

Today, I'm a member of the HTM sales team. I communicate with potential clients around the world, learning about their global business, and showing them how HTM can help with their operations in Japan. The presentation skills I gained as a JET really helped me transition into my new role.

I studied Japanese and Linguistics at university, and as soon as I graduated I joined the JET program. They placed me in a rural part of Hyogo Prefecture. While it was great for my Japanese skill, and I loved the experience, I really was looking for more of a challenge.

At HTM, I found a place where I could push myself and there's a lot of focus put on learning. Since joining the company, I've been able to gain skills in everything from database design to video editing.

I started out as an ALT in Aomori where I stayed my full five years. And for me, the people I worked with made the biggest difference, it's the reason I really liked working there. So, I thought my next job I also want to find that quality of people.

The most helpful thing for me was HTM let me choose my start date. I joined the company in mid-August just after my JET contract ended. Beforehand, I had been worried I would have to wait until the following April, or worse, be asked to break contract. I feel like HTM really showed they understood my schedule as a JET and respected that.

The temporary housing offered by HTM was a life-saver. It took the pressure off moving to a big city and having to find an apartment straight away. It gave me time to do my research and figure out where I wanted to live in Tokyo.

When I got the job and I came to Tokyo I needed an apartment and that's hard for anybody. So I said, I'll come down two weeks before I start, no pay, don't worry about it, and I'll find my apartment.

And they said, No! Cole, that's okay. We'll give you a temporary apartment, you can start working right away and find the apartment at your own pace. and that really impressed me. That really helped a lot.